


Poolshark

by academy_x



Category: Marvel 616, X-Men (Comicverse), Young Avengers (Comics)
Genre: David-Centric, Drinking, Humor (hopefully), M/M, Pool, Post-Young Avengers vol. 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-13 06:35:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12978177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/academy_x/pseuds/academy_x
Summary: David is very good at playing pool.





	Poolshark

**Author's Note:**

> i know i tagged this as ship, but it's mostly about david playing pool (something only described in the vaguest terms bc i barely know how to play) david and tommy are on a date though!!
> 
> also idk how old tommy and david are supposed to be (i think of them as being in their early twenties) and what you consider underage drinking but umm they drink beer in this one

The night is young, and David is still way too sober to go jump around to EDM like Tommy wants to so he suggests they go get a beer at the next bar they pass. Tommy agrees, and that's how they find themselves drinking cheap beer in a vaguely sticky corner booth. The bar is one of the few who's managed to dodge the ban, and the smoke hangs thick in the air. Most of the clientele are old, or older than David and Tommy at least.

"Hey, you wanna play pool?" Tommy asks, nodding at the free table.

"Sure," David says.

David plans to play a straight game, but then he spots this macho guy at the other table who looks overconfident and like he has entirely too full pockets. Instead David decides to make a show of losing, and he grumbles loudly about beginner's luck. Tommy, of course, doesn't notice a thing, he is far too busy gloating to consider that maybe it's a little strange how he beat the guy who absorbed the knowledge and skill of everyone. To Tommy's credit, he actually is pretty good at pool. David is just that much better, good enough to lose on purpose with none the wiser.

Tommy's gone to fetch them another round of beer, and David doesn't even need to make a move because the meathead speaks up all on his own.

"Having a bit of bad luck there?" he asks, grinning.

"Just need a real challenge," David says. The words come out a bit slurred, and David honestly isn't sure if he meant to do that or if the beer's affecting him already. It'll be fine either way. David could beat this guy with both hands tied behind his back.

The meathead holds up his pool cue and gestures towards the table. David smiles.

"How about we make it interesting?" David says and pulls out a couple of crumpled fives.

The guy nods, and the game begins. Tommy comes back halfway through and cheers David on, shouting every time David lands a shot. They play three quick games, and David loses 25 dollars. Somewhere during game number two, Tommy fished out his phone, and he's been scrolling through twitter since. David feels a pang of guilt. This was supposed to be date night. He promises himself to buy Tommy a drink with his eventual winnings.

"Double or nothing," the meathead offers.

"Fuck that. I want my money back, let's play for a hundred," David says, letting a hint of anger slip into his voice

"You sure about that?" the guy asks.

"Yeah, David, you sure?" Tommy echoes.

David nods and begins lining up the balls. The meathead smirks and pulls out bills of his own. David takes great care to make it look like he's just a decent pool player whose luck has turned. The victory needs to look accidental, like the shots just happened to line up for him. When he wins, he wants his money, not to get his nose smashed for _"cheating"_. Thankfully the meathead appears too upset with losing to notice he's being played. Tommy however, in the background, is quietly losing his shit. It might not be obvious to everyone else, but David knows Tommy, and he sees it clear as day. Tommy's figured him out, and now he's practically vibrating, biting his cheek to keep from laughing. David can't resist winking at him.

Maybe it's a little mean, but David still throws a shot or two, giving the guy hope of winning only to pull it away from him again. David doesn't want to draw out the game too much though, so he makes quick work of the rest. David's got the final shot all lined up. In five seconds he'll have won, but instead he pulls back and pauses. The meathead is red in the face. David grabs at the chalk and grinds it against the tip of the cue for longer than he really needs to. The forehead vein of his opponent is bulging so hard it might burst. Then David makes a big show of finding just the right position, leaning on the table. Finally he makes the shot. It lands easily.

David wins with very little fanfare, mostly provided by Tommy grinning in the background. The guy looks like he's about to cry, but he pays up.

"Good game," David says, patting him on the back. "I got lucky there at the end."

Then David takes Tommy's hand, dragging him out of there before someone tells the meathead he was hustled. They hurry away, powerwalking into the night because David will absolutely not let Tommy pick him up and run unless it's an emergency.

"So which x-man knows how to hustle pool?" Tommy asks, not out of breath at all.

"Well, for once I can actually tell you," David says, pausing to drum up suspense and also to catch his breath. "It's Cyclops."

"How do you know?" Tommy asks.

"Because every time I play pool, I think I can cheat by angling the balls with a forcebeam shot from my eyes," David explains.

"You think you have laser eyes?" Tommy asks.

"Ok, they are not lasers. They are beams of concussive force that come from the punch dimension that lives in his eyes, and also are powered by photosynthesis, what aren't you getting?" David says.

Tommy keels over laughing, and because they're holding hands, David is dragged down with him. Tommy must have had one beer too many, David decides, since he doesn't understand the perfectly logical explanation David just gave. Tommy isn't the worst person to lie on a cold street with, but all in all David would rather be standing. He pulls Tommy up.

"Come on," David says. "Didn't you want to go clubbing? I'll buy you all the expensive drinks."

Tommy grins.

**Author's Note:**

> if you know how to play pool and think i described something badly/wrong, let me know bc i have no fucking clue 
> 
> if you know how cyclops powers work and think it's not how i described it, keep it to yourself, the punch dimension is real
> 
> thanks for reading!!


End file.
